To review: The previous Spokane Valley City Council overlaid SARP, a 30-year
zoning plan to spur development in the city, on top of
the city’s comprehensive plan. It changed how certain areas along the
Sprague
and Appleway arterials were zoned, with the purpose of, for example,
concentrating auto dealerships in one location, concentrating retailers
towards intersections, and creating a city center near the University
City shopping
center.

Previous businesses were grandfathered in. The zoning would only apply to new
businesses if one year passed between vacancy and new ownership.

But despite that, a number of businesses along the strip revolted. Suddenly,
their businesses were being treated as “non-conforming." Vacancy rates had been climbing in Spokane Valley for years, but SARP
critics believed SARP’s strict zoning only exacerbated the problem.

In 2009, five city council candidates, known as the “Positive Change” bloc, ran to eliminate SARP. Each of them was elected.

True to their word, they consistently and repeatedly voted against SARP.
Most votes were 5-2, with council members Bill Gothmann and Rose Dempsey in the
minority.

At Tuesday's council meeting, SARP was “deleted” from the city’s subarea
plan and the city zoning map was changed to reflect that. With a few specific
exceptions, the city zoning in the area will return to what it was before Oct.
2009.

"Well, I do think the reasons that SARP came about still
exist. We have a
depressed Sprague area,” says Bill Gothmann, the one council member who
did not vote to eliminate it. "I’ve heard there’s a plan for Sprague. I
haven’t seen one."

This is only the final blow. On Oct. 26 of last year, the council voted
to pass an emergency comprehensive plan amendment to
specifically
eliminate SARP's restrictive city center zoning. The Pring Corporation
wanted to
buy property from Jim Magnuson’s University City, and turn it into a car
lot — something that would be problematic under SARP’s Zoning. Despite
objections from
most of the planning commission, the ordinance went through.

In the past year, SARP opponents solidified their power on the
council even further.

This February, Rose Dempsey resigned, feeling that she could no
longer make a difference. She was replaced by Arne Woodard, one of only
two planning commissioners who supported eliminating SARP. Gothmann does
not
plan to run for reelection.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Chuck Hafner, the Positive Change campaign’s
coordinator, made it to the top three among applicants the city council will interview
to determine who will replace the late Bob McCaslin. Hafner is a
former employee of Jack Pring, the owner of the corporation that catalyzed the
emergency elimination of the city center zoning.

Over the next year, Grafos says, there are several ways to determine if the
council’s decision to eliminate SARP was worthwhile.

“You’ll have to see some economic activity,” Grafos says. “We’ll have to see
where the city is at, as far as its tax revenues. We’ll have to see how we’re
competing against other municipalities.”